WWF (not E) throwback

[LurkerNoMore]

Man... the number of these guys that are not alive anymore.

[Grape Ape]

Can remember watching live when Hillbilly Jim debuted.

He was sitting in the audience for like 2-3 weeks prior, then he charged.

[Rambone]

Sheiky baby defying all odds by still living

[Gym Rat]

Can remember watching live when Hillbilly Jim debuted.

He was sitting in the audience for like 2-3 weeks prior, then he charged.

I remember that as well. Watched it religiously every SAT morning. WWWF.

[webstar]

Sheiky baby defying all odds by still living

He’s still making people humble!

[BB]

I get a 50/50 split alive/passed on that list. Interesting, pro bodybuilding might actually have a better record .

[G_Thang]

JYD and Orndroff.

[Grape Ape]

I remember that as well. Watched it religiously every SAT morning. WWWF.

Same - I think they had two shows on Sat.....never missed it.

[Gym Rat]

Same - I think they had two shows on Sat.....never missed it.

They did... Then at midnight on WPIX in NY there would be a show, and I think on SUN AM's as well.
"And Im your ring announcer, Joooooooooooeeee McHugh"...

[LurkerNoMore]

This was back when wrestling was done right.   When stories were interesting.   You could take two lower tier mid card wrestlers and after a couple of months of feeding them jobbers put them together for a match that people really had an interest in. 

Now says the PPVs are nothing more than rehashed Monday night matches.

[njflex]

Can remember watching live when Hillbilly Jim debuted.

He was sitting in the audience for like 2-3 weeks prior, then he charged.

'THE LIVER KINGS'UNCLE...

[Grape Ape]

This was back when wrestling was done right.   When stories were interesting.   You could take two lower tier mid card wrestlers and after a couple of months of feeding them jobbers put them together for a match that people really had an interest in. 

Now says the PPVs are nothing more than rehashed Monday night matches.

It WAS great back then, but can't complain about the attitude era either.

[Matt]

I get a 50/50 split alive/passed on that list. Interesting, pro bodybuilding might actually have a better record .

Pretty close on 50/50: from that list on the photo, 45% are dead, and 55% are alive:

Dead:

Roddy Piper
Big John Studd
Andre the Giant
Jimmy Snuka
Paul Orndorff
Junk Yard Dog
Nikolai Volkoff
Jim Neidhart
Lou Albano

Alive:

Bob Orton Jr.
Ricky Steamboat
Wendi Richter
Hulk Hogan
Hillbilly Jim
Mike Rotunda
The Iron Shiek
Greg Valentine
Tito Santana
Barry Windham
David Sammartino

And yes, I'd say that's even worse than bodybuilding.

Seems like wrestling is the most lethal of them all.

[tom joad]

I was only a wrestling fan in the mid to late 80s, and so that WWF era is my wheelhouse haha.

I even attended this memorable extravaganza in the summer of 1986.

[wazhazbin]

Pretty close on 50/50: from that list on the photo, 45% are dead, and 55% are alive:

Dead:

Roddy Piper
Big John Studd
Andre the Giant
Jimmy Snuka
Paul Orndorff
Junk Yard Dog
Nikolai Volkoff
Jim Neidhart
Lou Albano

Alive:

Bob Orton Jr.
Ricky Steamboat
Wendi Richter
Hulk Hogan
Hillbilly Jim
Mike Rotunda
The Iron Shiek
Greg Valentine
Tito Santana
Barry Windham
David Sammartino

And yes, I'd say that's even worse than bodybuilding.

Seems like wrestling is the most lethal of them all.

I was good friends with Jim neidhart.  He partied harder than anyone I ever met.   But every time another rassler died he would be freaked right out.

[Hulkotron]

Pretty erotic angle on that Hogan photo (nh)

[tom joad]

Pretty erotic angle on that Hogan photo (nh)

I'm surprised that he hadn't yet made the switch to yellow trunks by that stage of Hulkamania (battling Orndorff.)

[King Shizzo]

The WWE attitude era, and the WCW, was the greatest time in wrestling.

To be fair, I liked WCW better. Tooooo sweet!

[BB]

Pretty close on 50/50: from that list on the photo, 45% are dead, and 55% are alive:

And yes, I'd say that's even worse than bodybuilding.

Seems like wrestling is the most lethal of them all.

I see, I counted Hillbilly Jim in the gone pile. When I was in middle school the rumor was he died, never checked it out. Happy to see he's still with us.

[tom joad]

Greg Valentine has some great interviews on youtube re his memories of WWF in the 80s.

[Matt]

I was good friends with Jim neidhart.  He partied harder than anyone I ever met.   But every time another rassler died he would be freaked right out.

Partied hard?

Are we talking coke and/or heroin here?

[El Diablo Blanco]

Man... the number of these guys that are not alive anymore.

Come on. They were already in their 30s and it’s 40 years later. 

[King Shizzo]

The ultimate respect goes to pro wrestlers.
I'm talking about the best of the best. Not only did they have to act, they had to deliver on stage.

Pound for pound.... "those guys" had it tougher than any Hollywood celebrity.

[MCWAY]

Pretty close on 50/50: from that list on the photo, 45% are dead, and 55% are alive:

Dead:

Roddy Piper
Big John Studd
Andre the Giant
Jimmy Snuka
Paul Orndorff
Junk Yard Dog
Nikolai Volkoff
Jim Neidhart
Lou Albano

Alive:

Bob Orton Jr.
Ricky Steamboat
Wendi Richter
Hulk Hogan
Hillbilly Jim
Mike Rotunda
The Iron Shiek
Greg Valentine
Tito Santana
Barry Windham
David Sammartino

And yes, I'd say that's even worse than bodybuilding.

Seems like wrestling is the most lethal of them all.

Not really! That poster is about 35 years old.

So, most of those on the "Dead" list either died of old age or things totally non-wrestling related.

JYD was killed in a car accident back in 1998; Neidhart fell down the stairs and hit his head just a few years ago (2018). Andre had acromegaly (doctors predicted he wouldn't make 40; he died in 1993 at age 46, which some claim was due to a broken heart after his father passed away only days earlier).

The only one who died prematurely, of those listed, were Big John Studd and perhaps Piper (who was battling cancer but died of a heart attack).

[wazhazbin]

Partied hard?

Are we talking coke and/or heroin here?

I could drink 24-30 Canadian beer night after night.   but couldn't keep up to him.

no heroin, but handfuls of pills and yes cocaine.